How do plants and animals change the environment around them?

Procedure
SAFETY:
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the pond plants and animals. If you have
any cuts on your skin, ask your teacher if you should wear a sticking plaster or gloves.

Nuffield Foundation 1996

Investigation
a Look at the tubes that have been prepared for you and note the colour of
hydrogencarbonate indicator with no carbon dioxide, with normal air and with extra
carbon dioxide.
b Take eight flat-bottomed specimen tubes in a rack (or boiling tubes).
c Label the tubes A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H.
d Fill each tube to about 2 cm from the top with hydrogencarbonate indicator solution.
This will change colour if the carbon dioxide concentration changes. The indicator is
very sensitive, so dont breathe out over the open tubes.
e Add some plant material to tubes A and E. Use one or two pieces of pond weed.
f Add some pond animals to tubes B and F. Try not to damage them. One pond snail
about 1 cm long would be a good partner for each piece of weed.
g Add some plants and animals together in tubes C and G.
h Put only indicator solution in tubes D and H.
i Note the colour of the indicator in each tube.
j Put a bung in the top of each tube.
k Place tubes A, B, C and D in continuous light. Place tubes E, F, G and H in the
dark.
l Leave the tubes for the same length of time, which must be at least 12 hours.
m Note the colour of the indicator. Decide if the tube contains more or less carbon
dioxide than before, or if the amount has stayed the same.
The table overleaf shows the combinations of contents and conditions (light or dark) for
each of your tubes.

Complete the table to show what you notice during the investigation.
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Animals

Plants

Light or dark?

light

light

light

light

dark

dark

dark

dark

Starting colour
of indicator
Final colour of
indicator
Change in
carbon dioxide

more

Respiration?

yes

Photosynthesis?

yes

In the light, plants photosynthesise. During photosynthesis they convert carbon dioxide
and water into glucose and oxygen.
In the dark and in the light, plants use oxygen for respiration. As they do this, they
change glucose (or other food chemicals) and oxygen into carbon dioxide and water.
In any conditions, animals also use oxygen for respiration. As they do this, they change
glucose (or other food chemicals) and oxygen into carbon dioxide and water.
Look at the equations below which show these two reactions.
Photosynthesis:
Respiration:

carbon dioxide + water glucose + oxygen

glucose + oxygen carbon dioxide + water

QUESTIONS

Which tubes show a reduced level of carbon dioxide?

How has this change happened?

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Which tubes show an increased level of carbon dioxide?

How has this change happened?

What do you think would happen to the tubes from the dark if you now put them in the
light?

Think about the equations for respiration and photosynthesis. Use them to help you
complete the sentences below. You can use each word more than once or not at all.
carbon dioxide
oxygen
light
dark
photosynthesis
respiration
plants
animals

In the dark and in the light, animals produce (1).. through the process of
(2)..
In the (3)plants use up more carbon dioxide for (4).than they
produce by (5)..
In a community of plants and animals, the (6). can also use up all the (7)
made by the respiring animals when it is (8)..
In the (9)., plants cannot carry out (10), so at night (11)
.. levels in an ecosystem might rise.

People are worried about global climate change. Some scientists think it is partly caused
by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Some people think that we can
offset our carbon footprint (the amount of carbon dioxide we release) by planting more
trees. How would this work?

As a result of this investigation, what new questions do you have about plants, animals
and carbon dioxide? How could you develop this procedure to answer your new
questions?

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ANSWERS
1.

Tubes with plants in the light (and no animals) will definitely show a reduction in carbon
dioxide if the light intensity is sufficient to promote photosynthesis. Mixed tubes may
show an increase. Animals produce more carbon dioxide, mass for mass, than plants.

2.

The reduction in carbon dioxide is because the plants have used it during
photosynthesis.

3.

All tubes with animals only will show an increase in carbon dioxide. All tubes kept in the
dark will show an increase too. If you have more active animal tissue than plant tissue in
the mixed tube in light, that will also show an increase.

4.

This is because animals in any conditions and plants in any conditions are respiring and
producing carbon dioxide. However, plants in the light are also photosynthesising and so
will use up more carbon dioxide than they produce by respiration.

5.

If you bring the tubes into the light, the level of carbon dioxide may decrease in those
with plant material.

6.

The words fit into the spaces as follows

1: carbon dioxide
2: respiration
3: light
4: photosynthesis
5: respiration
6: plants
7: carbon dioxide
8: light
9: dark
10: photosynthesis
11: carbon dioxide

7.

Plants can absorb carbon dioxide from an atmosphere. Trees will absorb carbon dioxide
as they grow and during their lifetime might counterbalance the carbon dioxide you have
produced by driving a car or flying in an aircraft.

8.

Answers will depend on student responses, but here are some possibilities. Weighing
the plant and animal material would allow you to explore the balance point in more detail.
You could try it with other kinds of plant and animal material. You could develop a model
of a terrestrial community with land plants and land animals (eg woodlice etc) in a
sealable tank or aquarium.

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